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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen showed again why he’s one of the most adept red-zone receivers in the league.
During organized team activities on June 1, Kirk Cousins didn’t see any open receivers before slinging a pass to Thielen who was thoroughly blanketed by two cover men. Cousins delivered a high, back-shoulder throw that should have whizzed past the 31-year-old receiver if he tried to secure it with two hands.
However, Thielen only needed one, outstretching his right hand, reeling in the ball and landing both his feet just inside the back line of the end zone for a touchdown.
The entire pass-catching core ignited in celebration of Thielen’s catch.
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Sure, it was only OTAs. But it was a play that’s emblematic of both Thielen’s ability and the trust Cousins has in the elder statesman of the wide receivers room.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell even admitted that Thielen’s red-zone acumen was glossed over during his initial assessment of the team, but it’s already presenting itself.
Trust in the Red Zone
Speaking after practice where Thielen’s highlight-reel worthy play was the jumping-off point of a larger discussion surrounding the offense’s ability to score in the red zone, O’Connell admitted that the intangible ability to be a red-zone weapon doesn’t play into early evaluations, but is merely a bonus to a receiver like Thielen’s skillset.
“That’s something that doesn’t always go into the evaluation early on and then it just starts to show up,” O’Connell said on June 1. “What he’s done in the red zone over the course of his career speaks for itself. He’s got a tremendous feel, a knack for…. just an understanding as that field shrinks where that open grass and how can I be a friendly target to the quarterback.”
Over the past two seasons, Thielen has scored 24 touchdowns, ranking fourth in the NFL behind Davante Adams, Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill. Of those 24 TDs, 20 of them have come in the red zone, which ranks second behind Adams. Overall Thielen has grabbed 27 of 32 passes his way inside the 20-yard line in the past two seasons, the highest catch percentage of any receiver.
After Cousins and Thielen were caught on camera in a heated argument about a broken route back in 2018, it’s clear the two have developed chemistry over the years. The Vikings’ QB-WR red-zone chemistry has been strong touchdown production when the Vikings reach the red zone. Last year they ranked 10th best in red zone scoring percentage and sixth in 2020, per Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller.
“Those are four-point swings, seven-point swings that you’ve got to be able to take advantage of and that’s where we can coach those things from the jump,” O’Connell said, per Coller. “We don’t install a red zone play without talking about a red zone philosophy and how we want to play down there. Then the plays and the Xs and Os come in.”
Cousins boasts the second-highest red-zone quarterback rating over the past two seasons, throwing 47 touchdowns, one interception and allowing six sacks since 2020.
“That play that you’re talking about is just an example of Kirk kind of feeling (Thielen’s) body language in the route,” O’Connell said. “Do we coach it to throw in that area? Absolutely not. He’s just throwing Adam open with some trust. I think that’s the big word, the trust in the red zone.”
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Thielen’s Best Catches in the Red Zone
With O’Connell reminded of the plays Adam Thielen has made in the red zone over his career, here’s a look back at a few of Thielen’s best catches in close.
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